The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers a free OpenCourseWare for students with an interest in optical science. The 'Optics' course is part of the MIT Mechanical Engineering program and provides undergraduate students with a thorough introduction to optical science and its engineering applications.

Optics: Course Specifics

Degree Level

Free

Audio

Video

Downloads

Undergraduate

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Lectures/Notes

Study Materials

Tests/Quizzes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Optics: Course Description

Course materials from MIT's 'Optics' provide students with an introduction to the basic tools and concepts relevant to optical science. Students learn about light propagation and design systems that use light and that have engineering applications. Readings from two texts, Eugene Hecht's Optics and Joseph Goodman's Introduction to Fourier Optics, cover topics ranging from reflection and refraction to modern optics, including 3D imaging and nano-photonics. Lecture notes and problem sets reinforce these concepts, and project descriptions provide further opportunities for students to explore on their own. The course was designed by Professor George Barbastathis to serve as an introduction to optical science particularly for undergraduate students earning bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering.

The materials for this course include a video introduction, readings, lecture notes, problems sets with solutions, quizzes with solutions, project descriptions and a short list of related resources. To download the free course materials, visit the optical science course page.